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Re: Arctic Lake to Iceberg Lake- possible?

Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 11:14 am
by Silky Smooth
Damnnn thats such a damn good looking mtn, sooo much to do! Thanks for posting.

When Blackout and I go get it, Ms. Daisy I'll let you know, maybe when this pandemic stuff is over we can all go climb this pretty peak. Nothing like a roped climbed up a beautiful high sierra peak.

Re: Arctic Lake to Iceberg Lake- possible?

Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 5:03 pm
by robertseeburger
Daisy, I have climbed Mount Russell from the south, via the easy chute, on the right in Harlen's picture. It was actually pretty easy.
Nothing beyond class 3. I think this is the easiest route. However, the ascent up the chute to the headwall is really tedious slog on loose stuff.
There is some spice on exposure but the footing is not bad at all. But if I can do it, I am sure you can as well.

Re: Arctic Lake to Iceberg Lake- possible?

Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 9:47 pm
by Wandering Daisy
Thanks! This has been very useful.

So, has anyone been over Verstag Pass (Upper Wrights Lake to Williamson Bowl) or Vacation Pass (George Creek to Wallace Lake). The east side of Vacation Pass is obvious, but how do you get down to Wallace Lake? I have been up and down George Creek several times, so totally know what THAT is about. We bailed off Carl Heller due to ice on the route. Did Williamson from George Creek. I suppose you could climb Mt Barnard from the north branch of George Creek and then descend down to Wallace Lake -quite a chore- there must be something easier.

Re: Arctic Lake to Iceberg Lake- possible?

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 12:23 pm
by Harlen
Wandering Daisy,

Since you seem open to a lot of routes, I will borrow this from commonloon regarding Tyndall Col. It comes from his fine report here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=20915&hilit=TR%3A+Up+High+Walkabout
We got some extra water, expecting that it might be awhile before we could refill and stopped to look at the route up Tyndall Col. It looked loose. We were a bit concerned that it might be a 2 steps forward, 1 step back sort of affair. I tried to give Henry some space and stay a little to one side of him, in case he knocked loose some rocks. He didn’t knock loose a single rock. =D> We stayed in the heavier rock and made an arcing path up to near the top then traversed to the pass itself. Easy.
Good luck, looking forward to following your route-- either in real life, or the upcoming TR. Ian

Re: Arctic Lake to Iceberg Lake- possible?

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:34 pm
by Wandering Daisy
Thanks again! I really like George Creek, once you get past the lower 2 miles and would like to go there again as an exit or entry on a longer trip. And I suspect that George Creek permits may be quite easy to get.

As for Vacation Pass, I read an internet piece on one groups route that definitely was not a good one on the west side. I have yet to read a report on how you are supposed to get down the west side.

And, is "Henry" a dog? Or some clumsy backpacking partner?

Re: Arctic Lake to Iceberg Lake- possible?

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 3:01 pm
by Harlen
WD wrote:
And, is "Henry" a dog? Or some clumsy backpacking partner?
:( Oh no, nothing against dogs, but this Henry is one of your ilk Nancy. He is a true badass climber, who I have seen in action along with Paul-commonloon, when we were volunteering on the last effort to recover the lost body of Matt Greene. I believe Henry was recruited especially for his ability to rapidly scale the summits of the southern Minarets. He is proficient with ropes and gear, but also one of those with the fearless gene, or faulty amygdula, or whatever it takes to calmly climb wildly exposed stuff. He is also a real gentleman, who even deigned to lower Bearzy and me down the steepest part of the South Col ridge, even though he thought I was a jackass for taking a dog up there in the first place.

*I told him that I let Bearzy decide on our routes. :nod:


100_2547.jpg

100_2550.jpg

100_2585.jpg
Humans used the ropes too Bearzy. (That's Henry the human in blue).

*BTW, the way he and Paul accessed Tyndall Col was by branching off from Shepherd Creek, and then moving across Williamson Basin.

Re: Arctic Lake to Iceberg Lake- possible?

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 5:36 pm
by Wandering Daisy
Oh, my fault :o because I did not read the link you offered. I thought he might be one of Bearzy's 4-legged buddies. Looks like Bearzy has a lot of 2-legged buddies too. I have been told that I climb like a cat; I think it is just that being lighter and smaller I tend to knock down less rocks that most bigger guys. Down side of being small I can easily be blown down in a stiff wind and carried off downstream when crossing. Now, Bearzy has a real advantage- claws! I wish I had claws.

Re: Arctic Lake to Iceberg Lake- possible?

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 7:24 pm
by Harlen
WD writes:
...I have been told that I climb like a cat; I think it is just that being lighter and smaller I tend to knock down less rocks that most bigger guys. Down side of being small I can easily be blown down in a stiff wind...
Yes, but you'll land on your four paws. ;)